A PI, a Doctor, and a Jackass Oh, My!
by wooster182
Summary: This is a HouseVeronica Mars crossover. You don't have to watch either to follow the story. What happens when Veronica's best friend is in peril and needs House's help? And will a distraught Cameron be able to face her fears? Starts five months after each
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You don't have to watch House or VM to get the plot. This is a Veronica/Logan and House/Cam fic. It follows five months after both Season 2 finales. And it does coincide with some of House's plots for season 3. Please read and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Chapter 1

"You're not the same," House said evenly, those blue eyes grilling a hole through Allison Cameron's head. She was sitting at her desk, her glasses slipping down her nose as she checked his mail. He was leaning against the glass wall twirling his cane in his hand. He desperately wanted to take some Vicodin but had kept that habit hidden to all since the shooting five months ago.

Cameron's head popped up, her brows furrowing as she stared back at him. She had tried not to squirm when she knew he was standing there, but she could not help but feel the heat climbing up her spine to the back of her neck and the rush she felt in her thighs. Gulping, she asked, "Excuse me?"

House did not blench. "After Ezra," he said. "You don't want to go near patients. You're pissier than normal, too."

She glanced down at the letter in her hand. She had hoped that this time he was going to profess love or even like. Cameron just wanted something, anything resembling a signal from him. House was her boss, but she had loved him for the past two years and could not stop. He was a psychotic, obligatory jackass, but he was hers, at least in her heart. But he was not declaring anything. About two months ago, she had ended a terminal patient's life, Ezra's life, at his request. She fought back tears as she remembered his last gasp, his cold eyes that did not close after death. House was right. She was afraid to even touch a patient now. Cameron never wanted to make that decision again. She was a doctor. She was supposed to save lives, not take them.

Cameron stood up and took her glasses off, dropping them on the desk. Pushing her shoulders back, she said, "Thank you for your concern, Dr. House, but I'm fine. In fact, I have to go run labs for our patient now."

She brushed past him, but he grabbed her arm. "No, you're not," he said barely above a whisper. "You're coming with me."

Cameron's mouth dropped open. She did not even have time to register that his hand was wrapped tightly around her arm, that his fingers were very close to somewhere she had always fantasized about him touching. "What are you doing, House?"

He squinted, and she could not tell if he was angry. "I'm teaching you how to be a doctor," he said as he pushed her out of the door.

…………………………………

"We've been dating five months now. Can I call you Pooky yet?" Logan Echolls asked with that hint of sexy mockery.

Veronica Mars curled up next to her boyfriend as she lightly kissed his neck. "Only if you plan to die by next week," she cooed. They were sitting on the couch of his permanent hotel room. Logan's mother had committed suicide two years ago and his father had been shot to death five months ago after he had been found innocent of murdering Logan's high school girlfriend, the girl he had been having an affair with. His father had been a movie star, akin to the status of Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. But after he was orphaned and his house had burned down, Logan lived here, at The Neptune Grand in California. Logan was now nineteen and worth literally millions.

Veronica and Logan were now dating. Again. But this time they were in college at Hearst University. Neither lived on campus. Veronica was still living with her dad and frequented Logan's hotel room. She was not sure how she ever ended up falling for this psychotic, obligatory jackass, but she had. And she was having a difficult time standing up.

Logan wrapped his arms around her and pecked her lightly over her lips and cheek and forehead. His heart flooded with joy every time he even touched her. She was his salvation. His opportunity at a normal life in what had been Hell for the last two years. His dark eyes flashed jokingly as he said, "Well, will you call _me_ Pooky, then."

Veronica sat up and placed her legs on either side of his lap. She began unbuttoning his shirt. "Then I'd have to kill myself," she whispered into his ear with a smile, rotating her hips just to drive him crazy.

He tensed, grabbing her waist to set her down on the couch. Logan stood up, his back to her. Veronica gasped as she realized what she had said. He still missed his mother deeply. For several years, he had felt that she was the only one that had loved him. His father had beaten him severally over the years, but his mother was always there. Until now.

Veronica jumped up, resting her hands on his hips. "Logan, I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't mean it."

Logan turned to look down at her. She saw tears in his eyes that broke her heart. Veronica was afraid that he would hurt for the rest of his life. The pain he had went through, that they had both went through, might never go away. His eyes pleaded with hers as he said, "Just never go away, okay? Make sure you don't die."

Veronica hugged him tightly as she smiled. She had seen a lot of death and betrayal herself. Besides her dad and Wallace, Logan was her rock, the person she knew she could always go to, always trust. "Never, Pooky. You better promise me the same thing."

Overcome, Logan picked up her small frame, her legs winding around his waist. She rubbed her hands down his shoulders and back. She loved his body. It was strong and trim, but not overly toned. He wasn't handsome in that magazine away, but he was beautiful to her. They broke a lamp as they rushed towards his bedroom. Both struggled to not break the embrace of their lips.

Once in the bedroom, he gently laid her on the bed. Logan pushed her shirt up to kiss her taut stomach. Glancing up briefly, he asked, "Don't you wish we had been doing this last summer?"

"Shut up and have your way with me, Rhett," she cried in a Southern accent. Both liked each other's bodies, and their intelligence, but the thing that attracted them most was their banter. Neither had ever found someone else that could match their wit. Their hearts raced when one tried to out-talk the other.

"As God as my witness, I will never go without lovin' again," he groaned, ripping off his shirt.

Their moans of passion turned into sighs of frustration when they heard a knock at the door. "If that's your dad, I never touched you," Logan said thickly. He'd never admit it, but he was slightly afraid of the former sheriff who was now a private investigator.

"He always said he should have invested in that Chastity belt," she said as she got up to answer the door. She knew, with a satisfied smile, that it would take a few minutes for Logan to be able to join her in the front room.

She readjusted her clothing and opened the door. Veronica blinked as she saw who it was. Alicia Fennel stood there, twisting her purse and biting her lip. She was Wallace's mother. Wallace had been Veronica's best friend for two years since they were the outcasts in high school. "Mrs. Fennel," she said, "Is everything all right?"

Alicia glanced past Veronica as she spotted Logan entering the room. "Wallace has collapsed," she said, tears now falling from her eyes. "The doctor said it could be fatal."

Veronica felt like her world was crashing down. She had once told Wallace that he could never die, much like the pact she had made tonight. But now all bets were off. Alicia did not give her time to respond. "The doctor told me about a specialist in New Jersey. Dr. House. But there's no way I can afford—"

Logan interrupted. "Don't worry about the bill," he said. "I'll take care of it. When's his flight?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Sorry this took so long! I tried to make it extra good, hopefully, because it did take me forever. Hope you enjoy…

Chapter 2

Logan hesitated before he put his hand on Veronica's in the hospital waiting room. She looked up at him, her big blue eyes watery with fear and dismay. She had lost her best friend once when Lily Kane was murdered two years ago. She could not bear to do it again with Wallace. "Thank you," she whispered to Logan, squeezing his hand.

His breath caught in his chest. He had once told Veronica that he could not stand to see her in pain, that all he wanted to do was protect her. Right now he would rather die than watch her hurt here in this hospital. With a brave, small smile, he asked, "What for?"

Veronica rested her head on his shoulder. "For paying for this Doctor House to come. It means a lot to Mrs. Fennel," she said. It meant a lot to her to. He had been a good guy before Lily died, but had turned into the jerk she knew and hated for months. And now that he was growing up and away from his father, Logan Echolls was becoming one hell of a man.

"I talked to the Dean of Medicine over the phone, Lisa Cuddy," Logan said. "She sounds like a real treat. She has not located Dr. House yet, but she told me that he would fly here." It was true. Wallace was too weak to move, so unbeknownst to Greg House, he and his team were about to be flown to Neptune, California.

……………………………

"House, where are you taking me?" Cameron asked as she struggled to keep up with her boss.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to blot out her whiny voice. House wanted her to get stronger. He wanted all of them—Foreman, Chase, Cameron—to get stronger, to be the excellent doctors he hired them to become. And she was just getting weaker.

House feared he was part of the problem. He could see how much she worried about him, how much she wanted him. It seemed to be affecting her job. He hated himself even more than usual for causing her that much pain, but he did secretly enjoy being the object of someone's affection as well.

He had told her after Ezra's death that he was proud of her. He was proud that she had made a choice, a decision. But now that decision was killing her. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days, maybe weeks. Her hair was frizzy and stringy. She had dark circles looming beneath her eyes, eyes that no longer glowed with green delight.

"Where are we going?" she asked. She reached out and touched his arm.

He stifled a gasp. In his hallucination he had told her that she would never touch him because of their sexual tension. For once, he was wrong. She _was_ touching him and not letting go. His blue eyes glanced down at her milky hand on his arm. Cameron was not the one that could not handle her touching him. It was House. He cursed the butterflies that swished through his stomach. He did not want them to be there. He had to remind himself: Cameron is too young. Too beautiful. Too weak.

Swallowing, he looked back up at Cameron. "We're going to the ER." He turned and kept walking.

Cameron's jaw fell as it usually did when she was around House. "Why?"

House winced. More whining. He whipped around again, his eyes icy and honest as he bore down on her. "Because you can't face death."

She blushed, her skin burning hot. "I am a doctor."

He stepped closer, so close he could smell the sweetness of her perfume. "You may have your license to practice, but that does not make you a doctor. You can't face death."

She could feel the tears pushing to escape. She did not want to cry in front of this man again. Shaking her head, she said, "I watched my husband die. I see patients die. Of course I can handle death."

He tilted his head to one side. "You may see it, but you can't initiate death. Ezra affected you. You're afraid of the patients now."

She tried to regain balance. Pushing her shoulders back, she squared her feet. "How are you going to fix me then?" she taunted.

House stared at her for a moment, hoping that this sign of defiance was more than an act. He knew that it was not. "I am going to make you in charge of every code blue that comes in today."

It was Cameron's turn to stifle a gasp. It was true that patients frightened her now. She could not hold those paddles and recharge a man now. She could not. "You don't have authority to do that."

House's eyes widened with mystery. "I am the great and magnificent House. I can pull an excuse out of my butt faster than Houdini could swallow knives."

Cameron folded her arms. "Houdini didn't swallow knives."

He rolled his eyes and started walking again. "Always the kill-joy."

…………………………………………

Mac knocked lightly on Wallace's hospital door. She smiled when she saw Veronica lightly drooling, asleep, on Logan's shoulder. She was glad her friend was happy for once. She had known that sort of happiness and contentment with someone, but that was gone. Funny how finding out your boyfriend was a mass-murdering molestation victim who tried to kill your best friend and her father before he jumped off a roof will end the joy rather quickly. She had thought their biggest problem was that Beaver was an underclassman. She had been dead wrong. Mac shuddered. _Dead._ She could not take any more death. She wondered how Veronica and Logan had been able to. It seemed as though dealing with death was their main extra-curricular activity.

"How's he doing?" she asked Logan. The nurse had told her that Wallace's mother had left to talk to doctors and someone named Lisa Cuddy over the phone.

Logan wiped his hand over his eyes and hair as he often did when tired. Looking over at his friend, he held Veronica tighter. "He's the same. Still unconscious. This Cottage guy is supposed to be here by late tonight."

"House," Mac corrected.

Logan shook his head. "What?"

"His name is Doctor House. You called him Cottage." Her lips turned up into a smile. She had always thought Logan Echolls was a sight to behold. And not the pretty, Colin Firth, sight. The too much tequila, shoot me in the morning sight. But she had been wrong. She could tell he loved Veronica and was a good friend.

"Whatever," he sighed. "I still haven't got to talk to this dude. I demanded it, but that Cuddy woman is a lot tougher than Principal Clemmons."

"Shirley Temple is stronger than Clemmons," Veronica said, finally stirring. She smiled at Mac.

"You hungry?" Logan asked the women. "I could get some burgers and vodka."

"Easy does it, Ruskie," Veronica joked back. "I'd like some coffee, though, to stay awake." She had been there for hours waiting with Mrs. Fennel. Her father, Keith, was chasing a bail jumper in Nevada. He was coming home as soon as possible, but it was a long drive.

Logan kissed her with a _smack_ and stood up, but Mac stayed him. "You guys are tired. I'll stay here with Wallace and Mrs. Fennel. Go home and get some sleep."

"Are you sure?" Veronica said. She was used to being the one that took care of her friends now. She felt odd when they tried to care for her.

"Are you sure we have to sleep?" Logan said, his eyes bright with mischief.

Veronica smiled. She felt better during a crisis when someone was making a joke. Plus, stress sex did not sound half bad.

Mac blushed. Her first time had gone badly considering that was the night Beaver killed himself. Sex was a touchy subject. "Well, go elope or have premarital sex or whatever you crazy kids do nowadays. I'll be okay."

……………………………

House stood at the back of the ER room they were in, resting his hands on his cane and tilting forward. Cameron timidly stood in the middle of the room, giving orders to the nurses and intern on-call.

"Charge!" the intern announced as he lifted the paddles to put on the patient's chest.

"Cameron, do it yourself," House said quietly.

"No." She wiped her hair from her eyes. She looked like she did that day she had come to work after taking meth.

"Be a doctor."

"I am a doctor," she repeated grittily.

He walked up to her, saying quietly in her ear. "Show me. I want you—I want you to be a doctor."

She took the paddles from the intern and stood there for a brief second. With a deep breath, she put the difibulator to the patient's chest. The body jerked. Cameron jumped back with a gasp.

He was still flat-lining. "Again," House said.

Cameron's eyes glassed over. She was catatonic, staring down at the dying man. Wrong. He was already dead and she couldn't bring him back to life. "Again," he ordered.

She gave the paddles to the intern and backed into the wall. The intern rushed to revive the man. After a few minutes, a heartbeat was found.

House and Cameron didn't notice. "I could have killed him," she said.

"You did kill him. That scrub had to fix it," he said, motioning to the intern.

Cameron looked up, tearing at his cruel words.

But they were true.

She wasn't a doctor.

Cameron crumpled against House's chest and cried hard. He held his breath. Emotions were not his thing, but he held onto her, his cane making an indention in her back.

House's beeper went off. Shifting, he reached for his pocket. The message read: IT'S CUDDY. COME NOW. 911.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Are you just wanting to play "Slave boy and Cleopatra" again, or is there some reason for your high-pitched shrills?" House said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it in Cuddy's office. He had sent Cameron back to the office and was now alone with the Mistress herself.

"I have a case—What are you doing?" Lisa Cuddy interrupted herself. Her chilling blue eyes gazed in dismay as he held the tiny white cancer stick in his hand. "Are you planning to smoke that in my office?"

House shook his head. "Nope. Just wanted to light it because I know the smell drives you crazy."

Cuddy sighed. He had found a new form of torture. She would just have to bide her time.

Before she could speak again, he said, "I'm sorry. Is the smoke bad for the baby?"

Her jaw dropped. "House. For the last time before I fire you, I am not pregnant."

He rolled his eyes in mock disbelief. "If you must play this charade, you must. Can you give me my orders General Hot-pants now? I have things to do," he said as his eyes drifted to the ceiling and his thoughts drifted with them to his office.

"I got a phone call today from Logan Echolls," Cuddy said as she leaned over her desk, a smile playing on her lips.

"Careful, Bessie. I don't need to see the udders when I'm not even getting the milk for free," House said as his eyes closed in on her cleavage. He flicked the ashes from his cigarette onto her desk.

Cuddy groaned, sitting up straight. "Focus, you over-paid paperweight. Is the name Logan Echolls ringing a bell?" House stared at her blankly, so she continued. "He is the late Aaron Echolls' son. The actor that killed that poor girl?"

"Is there a reason why you are sharing an E! Hollywood Story here?"

"As I was saying, there is a young man in Neptune, California," Cuddy continued. "His doctor referred him to you. Logan Echolls called to insist that you come. He plans to pay for everything."

"And you expect me to be at 'Mr. Hollywood's' beckon call? I don't even answer to you," he said. He put out the cigarette on the arm of the chair and flicked it into a planter in the corner of her office.

As he stood to leave, she shoved Wallace's hospital records into his hands. "I think you'll change your mind after you read the report."

He squinted at the glee in her face. She could usually find him intriguing cases, and he couldn't stop himself from looking. His eyes slid down the paper. When he looked back up at Cuddy, he said, "When do we go?"

"We?" she said with astonishment. "You expect me to go?"

House rolled his eyes for the second time. "C'mon. You're going to pass up the chance to meet the famous multi-millionaire heir whose father is as infamous as he is famous? Plus, you know as well as I do that you hope that kid builds another wing onto this hospital to show his utmost gratitude. I bet you a fifty that you've already bought your plane ticket."

She sat speechless for a moment, as she often did with House. Then she tilted her head. "Damn, that's a really annoying talent you have."

House smiled and shut the door on his way out.

………………………

"I thought you were hungry," Logan said as his back slammed against the opening hotel door.

"I thought you wanted sex," Veronica said, panting as she reached to kiss him. Sometimes being _petite_ had its disadvantages. She dropped the bag of fast-food onto the table and shook off her jacket.

He picked her up off the ground, causing her to wrap her legs around his taut waist. He sifted her soft, blonde hair through his fingers as he sipped at her lips. He could worship, write prose, and sing about her body for hours. The only time he could forget that he was an Echolls was with Veronica. The only one that cured the pain of Lily's death was Veronica. He would always love Lily, but this was different.

This was epic.

They fell onto the bed together. Still on his knees, Logan pulled off his shirt. He looked down at Veronica, whose eyes were closed. She was breathing heavy and anticipating his next touch. Caressing her cheek with his hand, he leaned down and asked, "Are you okay?"

She smiled before she opened her eyes. "No," she said. "I'm worried for Wallace." She lifted her head up and kissed him lightly on the chest. "But you make it better. Thank you for always making it better."

He thought he would cry. She had yet to tell him that she loved him and he had not dared to say it since the last time a year ago. This was the nicest thing she had ever said to him.

As he began to unbutton her jeans, there was a knock at the door. "Damn it," he whispered. "God really doesn't want me to have sex."

She fixed her clothes as she got off the bed. "I told you that you should go to church more. Apparently, there's perks if you do."

Logan refastened his pants and headed for the door. He yelled back to Veronica who was still cooling down. "After this _Cottage_ guy fixes Wallace, you and I are seriously going to wall ourselves up and have mind-blowing—"

As the door opened, Keith Mars stood frowning at Logan. "A mind-blowing game of Scrabble?"

Logan smiled a little and looked down at the floor as he often did. "Yes, sir. Veronica's smart, but I have a killer vocabulary."

"I'm sure," Keith said. "I assume my daughter is here."

"You know what assuming does," Veronica teased, entering the room. She smiled at her father, but she was looking around for the nearest rope. With what her father must be thinking, hanging herself sounded like the best option. She hugged him and asked, "Why are you here."

Keith tried not to chuckle. She didn't realize how cute she was when she was uncomfortable. "Your cell isn't working. This doctor Logan hired is here. He's at the hospital now."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

So very sorry for the long wait. School is a killer. The chapter is a bit short, but I hope to have a longer one the next time. Thank you to everyone who is sticking with the story. You guys are great!

Ch. 4

He needed some Vicodin and a shot of whiskey. His head was pounding from guilt that ate at him the entire plane trip to California. He had seen Cameron's panic when he told the ducklings of their imminent trip. He could not stop envisioning her worried green eyes. Was he helping her or only hurting her more?

Cuddy was off talking to the Dean of Medicine from the Neptune Hospital as Wilson, Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and House sat in what was to be their conference room.

"So, what's this kid got, people?" House asked, pulling a marker lid off with his teeth. He had specifically requested a dry-erase board to write theories and symptoms on.

"The way he fell, his muscle spasms prior to the collapse, it all leads to neurological problems," Foreman said.

House rolled his eyes. "It always leads to neurological problems when _you_ read the report, Mr. Neurologist. What else?"

"It could be brought on by Lupus," Chase said. He sat at the conference table, leaning back in his chair with his leg crossed widely over his lap.

"And you could need a hair cut and a decent pair of shoes," House said. "What else do you got?"

"I'll tell you what _we_ have," Logan said as he entered the room with Veronica. "We'll have new doctors if you all don't start putting those PhDs to some use."

"I'm sorry we have brains instead of money. That must be quite threatening for you," House said, twirling his cane in his hand.

"Listen, Dr. Cottage. Fix our friend or you'll find yourself with no money at all." Logan squared his shoulders and stared at House with that ever so familiar smug grin.

House shot him a similar look. The pissing contest had begun.

Veronica let go of Logan's hand and stepped closer to House. "I'm Veronica Mars," she said without sticking out her hand. "We just want to be reassured that Wallace will be okay."

House's eyes widened with sarcasm. "Damn, I was hoping to kill my patient this week. You just take the fun out of everything."

Veronica's head tilted slightly and her eyes narrowed. Logan knew she was ready for battle. "It's such a shame Patrick Dempsey's not a real doctor. He's so much prettier and actually has a personality," she said.

"Oh, I have a personality. You just won't like it. I'm never sure why."

She watched in dismay as he popped a Vicodin into his mouth. "You screw this up and I swear I will ruin you."

"Will you get my little dog, too?" He shook in mock fright. "Okay, Munchkin. Take the beefy billionaire here, have some angry sex in a supply closet and let us do our jobs."

Logan wrapped his arm around her waist, nudging her out of the room, but he kept his eyes focused on House hard. The doctor would never admit it, but those dark eyes did scare him.

"I am not small," Veronica said. Her fists were clenched at her sides.

"I know, Sweetie," Logan said as they left the room. "You're petite. Go do your thing and investigate him. You know you want to."

She looked away from him. He knew her a little too well.

……………………………

"I know he's a nightmare, but we'll be out of your hospital as soon as possible," Cuddy said to the dean in his office.

"If he upsets anyone," Dean Phoenix said, "you all will be removed from this hospital. I don't care how much Mr. Echolls is willing to pay."

"Dr. House won't listen to many people, but he does listen to me," she said, embarrassed to be lying. "And Dr. Wilson is here to lend any authoritative weight he might hold."

"Just fix this boy and quickly, Lisa."

She nodded and left. She hated talking to other deans. She could see the contempt in their eyes, their demeanor that she was one among them. It had been hard to get to the top and a lot of people despised her for it. But she would admit that it made it that much sweeter to be successful.

Biting her lip, she worried about House. He could not ever stay out of trouble, not even with his friends around him. And she could tell that he was concerned about Cameron. Cuddy didn't know for sure, but she was not going to ask if someone had assisted Ezra's death. With Cameron's sudden nervousness these past few months, she began to think that maybe Cameron had done it, but she would never have believed it otherwise.

With all those thoughts in mind, she had not even looked where she was going when she turned the corner. She walked straight into someone else. Gasping, she stumbled backwards, her eyes shut and her heels sliding across the tile. A strong hand reached out and grabbed her, preventing her fall. She was pulled back into the person. When she was again stable, she opened her eyes.

A sturdy man with a warm smile and slightly balding head looked down at her. He was in a suit jacket and looked professional yet tough. "I'm so sorry," she said with a smile. "I wasn't looking were I was going."

His deep brown eyes twinkled at hers. "No, you're fine. I'm just glad I prevented your fall."

She brushed the black curls from her eyes. "Thank you. You are my hero today."

"I wish you could tell my daughter that. She says she won't call me her hero until I buy her a pony."

Cuddy looked down at her feet with a disappointed smile. "Well, you know girls at that age."

He laughed. "She's eighteen."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: Sorry again that this is taking so long. Christmas break is almost here! Please read and let me know what you think. It has stopped following the shows' current plots, so please don't get confused by that. Hope you like it!

Chapter 5

"Do you realize that man actually popped two pills in front of us?" Veronica folded her arms in front of her chest as she looked up at Lisa Cuddy in the waiting room.

Cuddy sighed. "I know what that must look like, but he is in pain and he's the best doctor we have."

"What does that say about you?" Logan asked, his arm around Veronica.

She fixed her cold blue eyes on his. She had had enough. "With all due respect, Mr. Echolls, you requested we come here, not the other way around. If you want us to save Wallace Fennel, you're going to have to let Dr. House do his job."

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned towards the voice. It was Alicia Fennel. She had walked up with Keith, holding his hand. "What's going on, Dr. Cuddy?"

"We're worried about Dr. House," Veronica told her. She walked over to her and her father. "He's rude and I'm fairly certain high on pain killers."

"Veronica—" Keith started to say.

"No, Dad. I'm serious. This guy is going to hurt Wallace. I can feel it."

"Stay out of it, Veronica." Alicia stared her down, waiting for Veronica to protest.

"Fine." Veronica turned to look at Logan. He followed her out of the waiting room and down the corridor.

"You're actually going to let this go?" he asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

She didn't look at him as she continued down the hall. "Of course not. It's just easier to investigate when no one knows you're doing it."

……………

Cuddy went over to Alicia and Keith. Looking at him, she said, "I'm sorry that I didn't mention it when I saw you before. I had no idea you were connected to Wallace."

He smiled. "That's all right. There's no reason why you would have known."

She looked down at his hand that was holding onto Alicia's. She chided herself for feeling envious. "He's very lucky to have you both as parents."

Alicia's jaw dropped a little and Keith laughed softly. "No, I'm Veronica's father, the tiny, angry blonde. I'm just here for support."

"Oh." Cuddy tried to contain her relief at the news.

…………………………

"How's Wallace?" Parker asked just before she bit into an apple in the Commons.

Mac watched her hand twist her spaghetti around her fork. "He's still the same. His doctors are weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah, the main doctor, House, is mean, like scary mean. Then there's a blonde Australian guy. He's really pretty in that prison currency kind of way. The quiet one is really cute, though. I think his name is Wilson. He's all smoldery and caring. I didn't really pay attention to the two female doctors." Mac took a sip of her Coke. She needed one after that long spiel.

"Wow, who would notice two women anyway if there was that much sexy testosterone in the room?" Parker said rhetorically, her long blond hair swaying over her shoulders.

Mac smiled at her. Parker had irritated her when she had first found out that she would be her roommate. But she still felt guilty that she was partially responsible for Parker's rape several months ago. She was so glad that she had convinced Parker to stay at Hearst. They had become good friends, which was always good to have at a male-, fraternity-dominated campus.

"Hey, Mac," a boy said as he bounded up to their table with a tray. He was the exact opposite of Cassidy Casablancas, her last boyfriend. He was tall and muscular. His face was wide and stone-like, his features strong and masculine. Raven black hair curled in short, messy strands atop his head. The young man had deep brown eyes that looked like pools of chocolate. His lips were pink and full and ready with an easy smile that would make most women gasp.

Mac glanced over his body, his black shirt that hung loosely over his strong frame and dark blue jeans that hugged his long legs. Her brows knitted together and she smiled shyly. She did not understand why this guy, Brick Tyler, was talking to her.

"Hi, Brick," she said quietly as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"How'd you do on that calculus test?" His voice was raspy and thick and thoughtful.

She paused before she answered. He made her nervous. "I missed twelve. Newton really sucks for ever inventing this stuff."

Brick tilted his head back to laugh softly. When she asked him how he did, he said, "I missed one actually."

She rolled her eyes. "I would marry the professor and have all of his Korean babies if I could just get a B."

Mac jumped at the tingle she felt when he smiled down at her. "I doubt that's necessary. Dr. Toa's wife might take issue with that plan. I can help you if you'd like."

She glanced at Parker for the first time. Her friend was smiling so big her cheeks must have ached as she prodded Mac with her eyes. "I think I'll be okay. Thanks for the offer, though."

He nodded and looked down at his tray of food. "Okay. If you ever change your mind, I'll be around. I think I'll go eat this now." He smiled at them both one last time and left.

"Mac, why did you do that? He was totally propositioning you!" Parker pushed back her plate, looking incredulously at the tiny brunette.

"Brick was just trying to help. He's a computer science major, too. He's got to have a leggy girlfriend waiting in his bed wearing something skanky just for him," she said. But inwardly, her stomach was twisting. A guy had not smiled at her like that since Cassidy. Actually, Cassidy was the only boy that had ever smiled at her like that. And guys like Brick Tyler did not smile at girls like her. She felt like she was losing her mind.

"Well, if you don't want him, I wouldn't mind being that leggy blonde," Parker said on a giggle. "He's a lot hotter than Piz." Her teeth gritted. She still felt stupid for ever liking him once she found out how he felt about Veronica.

Mac got up to throw away her trash. "I need to get away from odd conversations with uber-men."

Parker stood up. "Let's go to the hospital and see how Wallace is doing."

Mac nodded. "I have a feeling we better see how V is doing, too."

………………………

"So what do you think of Wallace's family?" Wilson asked as they stood in line at the Neptune Hospital cafeteria.

"His mother is nice but she's got some past."

Wilson's forehead wrinkled. "How do you know?"

"Because she's too quiet and kind. It's those kind of women you got to really watch out for."

Wilson shook his head in disbelief and moved on. "I have to hand it to you. You know how to piss people off, but not many openly attack before you introduce yourself."

House turned to him. "Are you forgetting a guy shot me? Anyway, that Echolls kid is just a poor little rich boy trying to shove his weight around because he's got a Daddy complex."

"And his girlfriend, what's her problem?" Wilson asked with a smile.

"That she has to sleep with the Echolls kid." House turned back towards the front of the line. "She's overprotective and wants to save Wallace. She's probably had somebody die close to her. She's so controlling that seeing me down a crapload of Vicodin was more than she could take. Girl's pushy. I like her."

Wilson was ready to change topics. "I've noticed you're riding Cameron rather hard lately," he said.

House put his hand to his heart. "I swear we always use condoms."

Wilson cringed. "As if she'd ever be stupid enough to stop pining and actually have sex with you."

"Her loss."

"I'm sure it would be," Wilson said with a grin. "What's going on with her?"

House sighed as he looked in line for his favorite, a Reuben sandwich. "She is afraid to go near the patients."

Wilson shook his head. "Why? When did this happen?"

House banged his cane across the iron bar of food bar, making the room echo with a loud _ding_. "What kind of place are you people running?" he shouted out over the room. "How hard is it to make a Reuben sandwich? I know it must take a lot of hard work to pass Cafeteria Lady Academy but it's seriously just two buns and some meat!"

They all stared at him stupidly. Without a word, one old lady plopped a Rueben that had been sitting right next to him on his tray.

He looked down at it and then back up at her. "Well, good. I was this close to writing a letter."

Wilson leaned in towards him as he paid for their meals. "Now that you have brought shame to us all, would you please tell me what's going on with Cameron?"

House rolled his eyes. "Ezra. She assisted in his death and now she's afraid to even touch a patient. She will do anything from picking a fight with me to doing my clinic duty to get away from our patients."

"What are you going to do? Has she talked to Cuddy about scheduling time off? Has she gone to a shrink?"

House's eyes went wide and he stopped eating. "Easy, Tonto. No wonder your wives left you. It wasn't the incessant adultery. Nothing's worse than your incessant questions."

Wilson's jaw clenched. He knew House kept avoiding him because he did not know what to do.

House saw his friend's look and decided to start talking instead of waiting for another question. "I made her do code blues. I think she got worse. So I've decided to do one better."

"What's that?" Wilson asked, but he was afraid to know.

House looked at him with those chilling blue eyes. Wilson thought he saw pain in them. "I'm going to make her head of this Wallace kid's case. She's going to call the shots. She just doesn't know it yet."

House took a bite out of his sandwich, leaving Wilson to gape at him, his mouth dropping open.

TBC


End file.
